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Rickshaw comes from a Japanese word that means “human-powered vehicle.” The vehicle was first used in 19th-century Japan and then in other Asian countries to transport passengers. Rickshaw 源自日语，意思是“人力车辆”。 该车辆首先在 19 世纪的日本使用，然后在其他亚洲国家用于运送乘客。 Rickshaw pullers are traditionally male. Through social media, some Japanese women are drawn to the profess...

Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo has long worked to make her city less dependent on cars. She wanted to see more people using bicycles, or bikes, to get around. 巴黎市长安妮·伊达尔戈长期以来一直致力于减少她的城市对汽车的依赖。 她希望看到更多的人使用自行车出行。 Over a number of years, the city government put in restrictions on cars and increased the amount of bike lanes from 200 kilometers to over 1,...

Sometimes our friends'  behaviour  can  offend  us; sometimes we can see changes they need to make – but how do we tell them? Are there any ways to make difficult conversations easier? 有时朋友的行为会冒犯我们； 有时我们可以看到他们需要做出的改变——但我们如何告诉他们呢？ 有什么方法可以让困难的对话变得更容易吗？ It's important to have solid evidence that there is indeed a  p...

Researchers say they have recovered genetic material from the Tasmanian tiger, an Australian animal that has long been  extinct . The discovery could help scientists learn more about these creatures before they disappeared from Earth. 研究人员表示，他们已经从塔斯马尼亚虎身上找到了遗传物质，塔斯马尼亚虎是一种早已灭绝的澳大利亚动物。 这一发现可以帮助科学家在这些生物从地球上消失之前更多地了解它...

Neutrinos , or 'ghost  particles ' as they're known, are made when  cosmic rays  that are rattling around space at near  light speed , smash into other  matter . Astronomers say understanding where they come from is key to understanding the  dynamics  that shape the Milky Way. 中微子，又称 “幽灵粒子”，是当宇宙射线以接近光速的速度穿过太空大气层，撞击其它物质时产生...

The WHO says it has listed aspartame as possibly  carcinogenic  on the  basis  of  limited evidence  that it may increase the  risk  of liver cancer. This places aspartame in the same  hazard  classification group as aloe vera and Asian pickled vegetables, but below those deemed probably carcinogenic such as  night shift  work and eating...

Los Alamos in the Southwestern American state of New Mexico is where the U.S. government set up its secret mission to develop nuclear weapons during World War II. 位于美国西南部新墨西哥州的洛斯阿拉莫斯是美国政府在二战期间设立秘密研制核武器任务的地方。 Eighty years later, it is the home to huge government research and development laboratories. 八十年后，它成为了庞大的政府研发实验室的所在...

“Leaf-peepers” are  tourists  who visit the countryside in the northeastern United States each autumn. “Peeper” means looker, someone who looks. “赏叶者”是指每年秋天到美国东北部乡村游览的游客。 “Peeper”的意思是观看者、观看的人。 The leaf-peepers travel to see the seasonal changes to the trees. Their leaves turn color from green to deep red, bright yellow and rich orange before finally fa...

The Writers Guild of America (WGA) said Sunday that it had reached an agreement with Hollywood movie and television  studios . The announcement signaled that the group’s five-month strike is nearing an end. 美国作家协会（WGA）周日表示，已与好莱坞电影和电视制片厂达成协议。 该公告标志着该组织为期五个月的罢工即将结束。 The WGA is the labor group that represents writers in the United States who w...

The U.S. National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) reported Monday that winter sea ice hit record lows in Antarctica this year. 美国国家冰雪数据中心（NSIDC）周一报告称，今年南极洲冬季海冰数量创下历史新低。 Scientists say the lack of sea ice is evidence of serious climate change at the South Pole. 科学家表示，海冰的缺乏是南极严重气候变化的证据。 Researchers say the lack of sea ice will affect pengu...

Dig anywhere in Pompeii and you'll uncover an ancient treasure, a  snapshot  of a lost Roman world. Most of those who lived in the city probably escaped the  eruption  of Mount Vesuvius, but what they left behind is still being  unearthed  2,000 years later. 不论在庞贝古城的何处挖掘，你都能发现古老的宝藏，庞贝就像是失落的罗马世界的一个缩影。当时，这座城市的大多数居民...

The same area where the Wright brothers developed the first airplane will soon see electric planes that take off and land  vertically . 莱特兄弟开发第一架飞机的同一地区很快就会看到垂直起降的电动飞机。 The planes, called “flying taxis” will be produced under an agreement between the state of Ohio and Joby Aviation at Dayton International Airport. 这些被称为“飞行出租车”的飞机将根据俄亥俄州与乔...

Over the last few weeks, the  estimated  15,000 e-scooters run by the three operating companies have been gradually  withdrawn , mostly being  redeployed  to other cities in Europe, including London.  在过去的几周里，由三家公司运营的约1.5万辆电动滑板车已被相继撤出，其中的大多数被重新投放到包括伦敦在内的其它欧洲城市继续使用。 In Paris, there'll still be plenty of...

I'm sure most of us enjoy going on holiday. It's a break from the routine and a chance to  jet off  somewhere with friends or family. This might involve  sightseeing  and  soaking up  local culture in a new  destination , or it could be  kicking back  and lazing by a pool or on a beach. But, whatever we choose, the most convenient way to do it is on a&n...

This is the time of year when many gardeners are harvesting tomatoes. Associated Press gardening expert Jessica Damiano recently reported about the many pictures of strangely shaped tomatoes sent to her from fans of her gardening advice. She said people sometimes question if the tomatoes are okay to eat. The good news, Damiano said, is that there is nothing wrong with the deformed fruits. Unless o...

These plans would see the Office for Students asked to limit the number of students universities could take on courses that had high  dropout   rates  or did not lead to good jobs. The  regulator  already has the power to investigate and  sanction  universities if degrees fall below set minimum  performance   thresholds . These inclu...

Small farms with natural trees and forests that block sunlight can provide a refuge for some bird populations, a study in Costa Rica found. For 18 years, bird expert James Zook has been collecting records on nearly 430 kinds of tropical birds found on farms and natural forests in the Central American country. While birds do best in natural rainforests, Zook said some species usually found in fores...

The physical and mental  dexterity  needed to  master  a musical instrument has long been associated with improved  cognitive performance . But now, researchers at the University of Edinburgh have demonstrated it can also delay the  mental decline  associated with ageing. 长期以来，人们一直认为精通一种乐器所需的身体和思维灵敏度与认知能力的提高有关。但现在，爱丁堡...

Belgium says it plans to study possible health risks from electromagnetic radiation release by Apple’s iPhone 12 smartphone. Belgium’s move comes after French regulators ordered Apple to stop selling the iPhone 12. French officials said the phone creates more electromagnetic radiation than the European Union permits. Apple disputes this. The company said the device meets all requirements. The...

The first subway station in New York City was designed to be a masterpiece and was considered a “jewel in the crown” when it opened. The trains in New York City’s public transportation system, its subway, mostly run underground. Today, the main concern of subway designers is that their systems work correctly. New York’s subway opened in 1904. City Hall Station was one of New York Ci...

Look at many of the items around your home and some will probably have been  imported  from abroad by ship. Moving  goods  around the world by sea is the easiest and most  cost-effective  way to do it. But what has made it more practical is the invention of the shipping  container . They're not the most amazing thing to look at, but because of their design, and e...

American government experts who studied a popular medicine used for colds say the drug is likely not effective and should not be taken by mouth. Sixteen experts for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration examined the drug phenylephrine. The drug is in many medicines that treat nasal congestion, a condition also known as a stuffy nose. The medicines include Sudafed, Allegra and Dayquil among others....

Invasive grasses might have played a part in the deadly wildfires that burned Lahaina, Hawaii recently. The grasses have taken over land that was once occupied by crops like sugar and pineapple.↳ Michele Steinberg is wildfire division director at the National Fire Protection Association. She said some plants are more flammable than others. But, she noted, “there is no such thing as a fireproof pla...

It's the second year  in a row  that the  proportion  of top grades has fallen. Around 27% of exams were graded  A*  or A. That's almost the same as in 2019 which was the last year of exams before Covid. 获得高分学生的比例连续第二年下降。约 27% 的考试成绩被评为 A* 级或 A 级。这一比例与2019年的考试成绩几乎相同，2019年是新冠肺炎疫情前的最后一次考试。 Grades in 2020 and...

The Rolling Stones said this week that their first new collection of songs in almost 20 years comes out on October 20. The album will be called Hackney Diamonds. The name comes from broken glass often seen on the streets of east London’s Hackney area. Three of the band’s original members - Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood – came to the Hackney Empire, a historic theater, for the announc...